Cornering Extended Starobinsky Inflation with CMB and SKA

TL;DR

Future CMB and SKA 21cm observations can effectively test extended Starobinsky inflation models, offering precise insights into inflationary physics and potential quantum gravity effects.

Contribution

This work demonstrates the potential of combined CMB and SKA data to probe extended Starobinsky inflation models and quantum gravity effects.

Findings

Future observations will constrain inflationary parameters.

Combined data will improve understanding of inflation dynamics.

Analysis accounts for astrophysical parameter correlations.

Abstract

Starobinsky inflation is an attractive, fundamental model to explain the Planck measurements, and its higher-order extension may allow us to probe quantum gravity effects. We show that future CMB data combined with the 21cm intensity map from SKA will meaningfully probe such an extended Starobinsky model. A combined analysis will provide a precise measurement and intriguing insight into inflationary dynamics, even accounting for correlations with astrophysical parameters.